Innocent Ike Takes Over as Access Holdings’ Group CEO

Access Holdings Plc has named Innocent C. Ike as its Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, bringing a seasoned operator back to the fold at a pivotal moment for the financial services group.

Ike rejoins the Access ecosystem after earlier years at Access Bank, where he rose to General Manager overseeing corporate, commercial, and public-sector portfolios.

His appointment follows 18 months of steady stewardship by Bolaji Agbede as acting Group CEO after the passing of Herbert Wigwe in February 2024. Agbede returns to her role as Executive Director, Business Support.

Access Holdings’ board, now chaired by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, framed the transition as the next phase of the group’s long-term plan. The chair praised Agbede’s calm hand during a delicate period and welcomed Ike to drive the vision forward.

Track record in transformation

A chartered accountant and veteran banker with 30+ years’ experience, Ike previously served as Managing Director/CEO at Polaris Bank (2020–2022). There, he launched VULTe, the digital platform that has won multiple industry awards, evidence of his focus on product, execution, and user growth.

He is a University of Lagos alumnus and widely profiled as the Best Graduating Student in Accounting (1988), a Fellow of ICAN and CIBN, and a certified IFRS expert, credentials that speak to his technical depth alongside leadership experience.

The handover context

Under Agbede, Access Holdings executed a ₦351bn rights issue,a capital action that strengthened the group and underpinned expansion across Africa. The offer opened in July 2024 and was fully completed by December, with regulatory approvals secured.

Meanwhile, governance continuity was reinforced in March 2024 when Aig-Imoukhuede returned as Non-Executive Chairman to guide strategy following Wigwe’s passing.